Worlds hardest oil filter to get off

   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #1  

Cat_Driver

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
2,510
Location
Coachella Ca.
Tractor
2016 Kubota 4060, 2017 Tackeuchi excavator TB260
I had a slow leak from a hydraulic hose that left a pretty good puddle under the tractor. My dilemma was put in 5 gallons of new hydraulic fluid after I fix the hose or keep going and drain it all and change the fluid and filters. I went with the complete change I mean why put 5 gallons of fresh fluid into 6 gallons of old fluid.

My Kubota takes (2) hydro filters, one for the Tranny and one for the rest of the tractor.

The first one ( the larger one ) came off as normal, the next one was a different story. I broke the spot welds on the first filter wrench after trying for an hour and finally using a pipe attached to it.

Off to the store to buy a new "HEAVY DUTY" model, still no luck so I braced myself and used the full force of my legs. BANG, the metal strap actually from the force.

Two hours and still the filter would not budge. I went to you tube to find a solution and realized many, many people have this problem from idiots at quick lube joints that seem to take pleasure in cranking down on oil filters when they change them.

Some of the solutions are hammer and chisel other methods are driving a screw drive through the filter and using that as leverage. I did that once years ago with a similar oil filter problem and all that did was shred the oil filter and make it impossible to grip again with anything ( DO NOT USE THIS METHOD)

OK now on to the solution. I purchase a pair of vice grips with the chain attached to it. I attached it with a solid grip from the chain, used the entire force of my leg strength by pushing and off it came. Total time invested about 4 hours.


For all of you that find yourself in this situation, and believe me you will some day as this is the second one for me. In my opionion this this is darn near impossible to break.

81TS+3zXKAL._SL1500_.jpg



Looks like I'm not the only one....

 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #2  
Worst OF change i ever had to do was on a late 80s/early 90s Suburu a lady friend had. It was mounted horizontally, but recessed into something where you couldn't really get any leverage on it. It didn't help that a gorilla had put it on. Ended up doing what you did with the chain vise grips.
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #3  
A Chain wrench is also my go to filter tool for the hard ones. Mine is not quite the same though... Has a short crescent area that bites into the material as it grips.
IMG_3313.jpg
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #4  
RjCorazza, that is also my "go to filter tool" for removing a stubborn factory installed filter.

Funny, we used similar tools made my Ridgid with 5' handles on them. They had two sets of teeth and much larger size chain. Used them on 4-8" threaded pipe. All bull work!

Ridgid.jpg
 
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   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #5  
After using a wrench to tighten new filter,tighten drain plugs with a half inch impact and it will be a done deal. I've never used more than one hand installing filters and never had a single leak.
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #6  
My FIL's new Deere Gator was factory installed waaaay too tight.

I had to remove the exhaust manifold to get at it to get it off... Arrrgh.

What should've taken 15 mins turned into 3 hours.
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #7  
I had a slow leak from a hydraulic hose that left a pretty good puddle under the tractor. My dilemma was put in 5 gallons of new hydraulic fluid after I fix the hose or keep going and drain it all and change the fluid and filters. I went with the complete change I mean why put 5 gallons of fresh fluid into 6 gallons of old fluid.

My Kubota takes (2) hydro filters, one for the Tranny and one for the rest of the tractor.

The first one ( the larger one ) came off as normal, the next one was a different story. I broke the spot welds on the first filter wrench after trying for an hour and finally using a pipe attached to it.

Off to the store to buy a new "HEAVY DUTY" model, still no luck so I braced myself and used the full force of my legs. BANG, the metal strap actually from the force.

Two hours and still the filter would not budge. I went to you tube to find a solution and realized many, many people have this problem from idiots at quick lube joints that seem to take pleasure in cranking down on oil filters when they change them.

Some of the solutions are hammer and chisel other methods are driving a screw drive through the filter and using that as leverage. I did that once years ago with a similar oil filter problem and all that did was shred the oil filter and make it impossible to grip again with anything ( DO NOT USE THIS METHOD)

OK now on to the solution. I purchase a pair of vice grips with the chain attached to it. I attached it with a solid grip from the chain, used the entire force of my leg strength by pushing and off it came. Total time invested about 4 hours.


For all of you that find yourself in this situation, and believe me you will some day as this is the second one for me. In my opionion this this is darn near impossible to break.

View attachment 604271



Looks like I'm not the only one....


I have had a pair of chain vise grips for close to 30 years.
I don't use them often, but sometimes they are the only tool that will do a particular job.
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #8  
[snip]
OK now on to the solution. I purchase a pair of vice grips with the chain attached to it. I attached it with a solid grip from the chain, used the entire force of my leg strength by pushing and off it came. Total time invested about 4 hours.

For all of you that find yourself in this situation, and believe me you will some day as this is the second one for me. In my opionion this this is darn near impossible to break.

View attachment 604271
[snip]

Yup, that type of chain visegrip (plus an 18" iron pipe extension) was the only way I could get the hydraulic filter on my Kioti NX to budge for the first service (50 hr). Nice thing about that particular design is that the loop of the chain exerts uniform pressure around the filter, so less chance of collapsing it with a pressure point.

BTW, I think the same 800 lb gorilla must do the factory filter installs for Kioti, Kubota and JD. Busy guy. :)
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Here's for your viewing pleaseure. We've ALL had oil changes like this....
 
   / Worlds hardest oil filter to get off #10  
I usually do all my own work, but I take new vehicles back to the dealer for the first service, just to avoid this inevitable situation.
 
 
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